The Maid and the Pocket Watch of Blood
by Equile
Summary: This Christmas season, Yuta, a boy on his 4th year in grade school receives a very special gift.
1. Intro: Into the Library

Disclaimer: _Touhou Project_ is owned by _ZUN_ and _Team Shanghai Alice_. The story is a fictitious work made by a fan and may contain actions, words and behaviors being disrespectful to the characters included in the story in contrast to their original work. If you are fine with this, you may proceed reading.

IMPORTANT: **This** is a short **chapter** which is **NOT INCLUDED IN THE STORY**. If you are not interested in some filler story, then please skip this chapter. This only acts as a short introduction for the story.

You've been strolling down the halls of this library trying to find a book that would somehow satisfy your boredom. Aimlessly walking that you found yourself on its deepest part. Feeling a bit adventurous, you continued your little walk, scanning each aisle, feeling a bit excited.

It's really quiet in this parts that you can even hear your own footsteps echoing through the hall. Suddenly, you heard a sound of paper being flipped. You traced its location, trusting your memory and instinct. Sure enough, you can see a faint light coming from one of the aisle. Without any worry, you went towards it and saw a man sitting on one of the ladders with a book in hand. He looks at you and seems uninterested in talking so he went back to reading. Being a friendly person that you are, you tried to open up a conversation by asking if there are any interesting book to read around this parts. He looks again at you and seems to be a bit surprised. Seems like he's not really good with strangers. But he still tried to comply to you. "I... Uh... Sorry, I really can't recommend any. But I'm pretty sure there's plenty around."

You're a bit disappointed with the answer, but you didn't mind. You kept pushing your conversation and asked about the book he's reading.

"Oh, its uh... An old book that I really like." He seems to really like it as you can see his warm smile. Then he's somehow turned sad all of a sudden. "Its just that most of its pages are already torn". He shows you the book where the pages are torn. You felt sad for the thing. You suggested to look for any copy left of that book. He smiles at you again. "Thanks but, this is the only copy left for this book. I can't even find the original book. I guess it's telling me to move on." He let's out a small chuckle as he places the book on one of the shelves. He climbs down off the ladder carrying a small electronic lantern.

"Guess we have to look for something to read together." He said with a smile and started scanning the aisle of books. You started doing the same and found a book that seems out of place. It's thinner and newly made as the cover still has that fresh feel into it. The ink printed for the title seems to peel off and stick to your fingers if you tried to touch them. Though you seemed to be a bit... annoyed as the title is very familiar to you.

"Oh! Uh... I can't believe you found that one. Ahaha." He said while seems to be in haste as he approaches you. You are confused in what he said and asked him if he knows the book you are holding. "Y-yeah, you see I... uh... wrote that one." He shyly said.

You can't help but snicker but kept yourself from bursting out of laughter. You commented about how unoriginal the title is told him he should have given it a harder thought. "Yes, I know that. You really don't need to remind me. You see it's kinda like stuck into me when I was writing it. Telling me it's perfect for the story. So... Yeah, I got lazy and used that title anyway." He explained.

You felt a bit bad for him when he looked so down talking about it. You looked at the book in your hand. What could he possibly wrote that he needed to use this as his title. A bit curious, you carried the book looking for a place with a table and chair. And plenty of light!

The man hurriedly followed you as he sees you storming off with the book. "Um, excuse me? Are you planning to read that?" He asked. You looked at the book again and looked at him saying that you'll take a quick look on it. "Oh, well I guess I'll leave you alone then." I don't want you to feel pressured if you didn't liked it or distracted if you're into it. Take your time." He said and disappeared between the aisle of books.

After finding a place to sit down and relax, you took another look at the book thinking if you should really read it or not. Well, a little peek won't hurt you told yourself and started to turn the first page open.


	2. The Gift

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The cold wind brushes his face as little Yuta walked by the street. Taking his time as he still too early before the school bell rings. His eyes fixed on the cloudy sky, expecting to see the first fall of snow this year. He's currently on his 4th year on grade school. His father left him and his mother for another woman so his mother is the only one raising him all alone. It's not really an issue for him as he's already used to it by now. Since his mother is busy at work, he is usually left on his own doing house chores and getting himself ready for school.

Not soon enough, he made it to his school. He met his friends at the gate and walked along them inside.

"Tomorrow is going to be when we will be having that exchange gift, right? I wonder if my gift is acceptable." Sayo said.

"Why? What gift did you bought?" Toya asked.

"It's a secret!" Sayo replied.

"Tch! Then who are you giving it to?" Toya asked again.

"I'm not really sure. Since we are using code names, it's somehow hard to tell."

"Then tell me what's the code name you got."

"That's also a secret!" Sayo replied teasingly.

"Eh? Then how about your code name. What's your code name." Toya insisted.

"Your persistent and annoying." Sayo said.

Yuta couldn't help but smile as he looked at his friends bicker at each other.

"How 'bout you Yuta? What's your code name?" Toya asked.

"That's also a secret." Yuta replied.

"Oh, come on! You guys are no fun at all!"

"Just cut it out already, Toya." Sayo said.

"Just tell me already! I promise I won't tell anyone. I know! How about I tell you guys mine."

"Sure! Whatever suits you." Yuta replied.

"Alright! Ah, but you have to tell me yours in return, okay?" Toya said.

Both Sayo and Yuta looked at each other and then to Toya with a wide grin and replied in a chorus. "NO!" And they both started laughing.

"Eh?! That's unfair! Its okay to tell you mine but not yours?" Toya protested.

"Hey, you're the one who suggested it." Sayo replied and they continued laughing as they went to their classroom while Toya is very annoyed with them.

All three of them went about their regular day at school. By the end of the day, their teacher reminded them not to forget their present by tomorrow. They've said their goodbyes with each other and went about their way.

Yuta looked up the sky but the clouds are clearing up. It seems he won't see the snowfall today.

He came to their home and met the same empty house before he left for school. His mom won't be home until 9 pm so he has to do the chores and prepare dinner for both of them. Unless his mother would have her dinner before going home. Though its only during his mom has her dinner at home that they actually spends time together.

Yuta takes his dinner early and would just talk to his mother while she's having her dinner. He also told her about their up coming party and their exchange gift for tomorrow. Since Yuta is always busy doing chores after school, his mother promised him to buy a gift for their party for tomorrow on her way home.

It's already past 9:30 and his mother is not home yet. "She's probably still looking for a gift. I wonder what she would buy. I hope it's not something embarrassing." Yuta wondered feeling a bit worried but excited at the same time.

A few more minutes later and he heard their door unlocked and heard her mother calling out to him. He rushed to the door to meet her and helped her carry her bag inside the house. "I'm really sorry you have to wait this long for me, Yuta. It's hard looking for a gift at this time so it took me this late to get home." His mother told him as they sat down for dinner. She then started to grab something from one of the bags she brought home. "This isn't really that much but, what do you think?" She pulled out a scarf and stretched it as much as she could. "Since the cold weather is right us, this will keep them warm. And it won't be a trouble even if you gave it to a girl or a boy." The boy stared and inspected the scarf for bit. It doesn't look bad. And the color and design isn't awkward. And it looks very comfortable too. As expected from a mother's sense of fashion. Thinking and caring about others comes first for them after all.

"It's... Ok? I guess? At this moment, I don't really have other option anyway." His mother just smiled as she put the scarf away. "Let's wrap it later, okay?"

That night, Yuta was very uneasy. He couldn't help but feel excited for tomorrow to come. Thinking of all the possible gifts he might get. Wonderful ones, bad ones, silly ones. He just couldn't help but think about them.

The next day after school. Yuta was walking home looking at the small flat box wrapped in blue gift wrapper tied with a gold silk ribbon and a card on top with the words 'To: Blue'. The word Blue seems to be a child's scribble. Despite being small, it's still bigger than the size of an adults hand. It also is quite heavy. Yuta tried shaking it but he still can't figure out what's inside.

He intended to open it when he gets home but curiosity got the better of him.

He went to a park and sat on a bench and looked around him. Since it's almost dark, there's not much people around. The place seems perfect to open his present so he proceed in doing so. Carefully, he untied the ribbon. The next part is a bit tricky. Trying to undo the wrapping as neatly as possible. The first 3 seconds is going fine until he saw a rip, then it doesn't matter anymore as he instantly ripped the whole thing apart. The last part, the box. Carefully, he lifted the top and found... A golden watch.


	3. The Watch

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Earlier that day, at the end of their Christmas Party, the teacher asked her students to listen to her as she's to call them by their code names, namely colors, according to the cards attached to each gifts. The gifts were gathered in front beside the teacher's table visible for everyone to see.

One by one, the teacher calls them to come in front and claim their gift. Most of the boys couldn't contain their excitement and hurriedly rips the wrappings and reveal their gifts.

The gifts vary in sizes, although the differences are not very far from each other. Except for Yuta, whose gift is only as big as a small plate. Though most boys got toy trucks or the same sorts, Yuta isn't exactly sure of what he got.

"Hey Yuta! What did you get?" Sayo asked while holding a pink bunny plosh toy in her arms. A bit startled, Yuta was unable to respond to his friend and just stared at her holding his gift with both hands. "You still haven't opened it?"

Still a bit dazed, Yuta cannot form a proper sentence to reply. "Huh? I, uh..."

"Hey! What did you guys get?" Toya asked. "I got this really cool robot!" He proceeded in showing off his giant robot while holding it in by the waist.

Sayo just cannot comprehend the excitement of her friend. "Wow Toya... That's... really-"

"Oh wow Sayo! That's a really cute doll you got there." Toya commented.

Sayo was taken aback by the sudden praise from her friend. "Y-you really think so?"

"Yeah! And it really suits you since you both look the same." Toya added.

"The same?!" Sayo asked and a bit confused on the last comment.

"Yes, the same. I mean like, you both looked really cute."

The girl is very flustered that her face is glowing bright red and was unable to form any proper words that she just ended up blurting sounds which doesn't make any sense.

"I wonder who it's from." Toya asked.

This question snapped Sayo from her current state and started wondering, "Now that you've asked, I also wonder who it's from."

"Oh, that would be me." Another girl answered.

"Maya? This is from you?" Sayo asked.

"Yes. I really hope that it satisfies your criteria of a perfect gift."

"No! I mean, it's perfect! I mean, its not like I have a criteria for a perfect gift or expecting a specific gift or something like that! Like, um... I really, really liked it!" Sayo said.

"Then I am glad to hear that." Maya replied in her most polite manner.

"You're really lucky Sayo! To get your gift from the richest girl in class, that's awesome." Toya said.

"Yeah, this is really... Wait." Sayo felt her sweat got a bit thicker. The same goes for the two boys. "Does this mean that this doll..."

"Uh, excuse me for being rude, Maya." Toya asked. "But how much does that doll exactly cost you."

"Oh, those kinds of things are really irrelevant." Maya replied and laughed discreetly while covering her lips with her hand. The faces of her friends turned pale just thinking about how much it might have cost.

"I-I promise to take really good care of it!" Sayo said almost shouting.

"I'm sure you will Sayo." Maya replied.

"So what did you get, Yuta." Toya asked suddenly cutting to his friend.

"Huh? Oh I haven't opened it yet." Yuta replied. Toya suddenly snatches the gift from his hands and gives it a little shake.

Sayo is very upset with what he did and lectures him but he wasn't listening to her at all. Instead, he is focused on the object in his hands. "What do you think it is?"

Not being able to hold herself anymore, Sayo pinches Toya's face and takes away the gift from his hands. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" She said. But also being curious of the content of the box, she also gives it a little shake and listens to it. Being unable to figure it out, she hands it back over to Yuta. "Here you go Yuta."

"Thanks." Yuta takes the box from her and stares at it.

"It's a bit heavy but it doesn't make much noise." Sayo said.

"Well what do you think it is? An alarm clock?" Toya asked.

"It's too thin for an alarm clock!" Sayo replied.

"It could be a digital one." Toya added.

"I... guess you can say that." Sayo said.

"Or maybe a picture frame!" Toya said.

"It's a bit heavy for that." Sayo said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Toya conceded.

"Maybe it's a priceless porcelain plate from another country?" Maya asked.

"No, no, no, no! Why would you even think of that?" Sayo and Toya replied at the same time.

"So why don't you just open it up already?" Toya asked. Yuta was again startled by the question and everyone around him is waiting for his reply.

"I, uh, you see... I, uh, want to open it together with my mom so... I will open it once I get back home. Yeah..." He explained. Everyone seems to be disappointed.

"Well, we can't be pushy if that's how you want it to be then!" Toya said.

And that's what happened earlier. Right now, Yuta is staring at a round, golden watch.

It is too big to fit on a child's hand that Yuta needs both hands to hold it properly. Its top cover has a fully bloomed rose motif embossed on its center. It has a long golden chain going through the ring on top of it. It was thin, but thick enough not to be able to break easily even if you pull it several times with only using your bare hands. There's a thin button on the bottom which unlocks the top cover and reveals the clock. It is very well made that even the hands of the clock is well-designed. The face is quite ordinary. A white background, with small lines to indicates each second. The numbers are in roman numeral form. No brand was indicated anywhere. The button on top should be able start it up but it does nothing. All three hands are pointing at 12. Another thing about this clock is there's a message behind the top cover. It is written in a beautiful cursive form. It says the following:

 _My greatest honor_  
 _To be at your service._  
 _My name is_  
 _Sakuya._  
 _If you ever needed_  
 _Anything,_  
 _Just call out my_  
 _Name._

 _'Sakuya?'_ Yuta said in his thoughts. Is that the name of this watch. Why would anyone name a watch? And why a girl's name? He pressed the button on top again but it still won't work. Was it broken? He tried to shake it, but nothing seems loose. Actually, it doesn't make any sound at all. Was everything inside well-fitted? Well, it doesn't really matter too much.

Yuta hurriedly went home and did his daily chores until his mother got home. He told her everything that happened that day and showed her the watch he got as a gift. His mother couldn't believe her eyes. It looks very expensive and it is not a suitable gift for a child. She decided to visit his teacher and talk to her tomorrow. There might be some sort of mistake.

"I will be keeping this in the mean time. Be sure to sleep early, okay?" His mother reminded him and before he went off to bed.

Yuta can't wait to tell his friends about what happened. He sure went to bed early as he is very excited for tomorrow to come.

Later that night, Yuta was awakened by loud noises of something hitting the walls or the floor. His still half-asleep, he stood up and went for the door. It is faint but he could hear a ragged voice crying and begging. He opened his door and found a tall man standing in front of him. His face is covered with mask and he seems to be carrying a baseball bat.

"Yuta!" His mom called out. In his horror, his mother was down on the ground. Blood flowing from her head and her left lower lip is also bleeding.

"Get the child!" Another voice said. It came from the man standing right next to his mother and he is also wearing a mask and carrying a bat.

"NO! Please leave him alone! Please!" His mother begged but the man kicked her on her side.

In a panic, Yuta instinctively run towards his mother but the man standing in front of his door kicked him so hard that he was sent flying back and hit the floor with a loud thud. He felt like he is about to lose his consciousness because of the pain.

"NO! You bastards! Leave him alone! Yuta, RUN!" Her mother protested with all of her remaining strength.

"Shut the bitch up already. It will be troublesome if the neighbors hear us." Said the man in front of the door.

The other guy sat down pulling a knife from his pocket. Yuta would have wished that he had lost his consciousness from the kick earlier. That would probably one of his greatest regrets. It happened as if time have slowed down to mock him and torment him in every second that flows. As the man held his mother to the ground and drove the knife through her neck. Her body was convulsing as she drowns in her own blood. Her eyes slowly rolls to the back of her head as she slowly losses consciousness. It doesn't end quickly as her body continues to writhe in agony even after the man has pulled the knife off of her neck.

"Let's finish off the kid too." Said the man who murdered his mother and walked towards the downed Yuta. He walked briskly carrying the bloody knife in his hand only to be interrupted by another man who seems to come from his mother's room. The other man was also in a hurry and he is carrying a bag full things. They bumped into each other which causes him spill some of the things from the bag on the floor and one of them is the golden watch. They got into a small argument but was immediately broken up by the other guy saying that they have many more things to do.

Yuta was still unable to move because of the pain and is only able to watch as his mother's murderer slowly approaches him again. It is over. He cannot defend himself. He couldn't escape either. All he can do is wait for his end to come. He looked outside his door and sees three men outside. He sees the golden watch as the man bends over to reach it by its chains. The fall might have caused it to open up, revealing the face of the clock. Time seems to flow slowly again as the man lifted it from the ground with its face shown directly to Yuta. And by some sort of a twisted joke, the hand of the watch started to move. Skipping from one line towards the other, Yuta can clearly see its movement despite the distance between them and he can even hear it.

Tic...

Everything seems to move very slow. The way it was lifted in the air, the movement of the man coming towards him, they just move very slowly tormenting the poor child even more.

Toc..

He felt like running away. Screaming for help. Hoping to escape this horrific nightmare.

Tic...

For some reason, he remembers the name written on the watch. Like it is asking him to call out its name. Driven by fear and despair, Yuta sucked in all the air he could gather in his lungs.

Toc...

"SAKUYA!"

His voice seemed to echo around the room. A few moments later, the sound stopped. Everything around him felt different. It appears to be the same but there's something that gives off an uneasy atmosphere. Something is very... wrong.

Yuta looked around him again and he could still see the three men outside of his room but, none of them is moving. As if all three of them turned into statues. Unable to understand what is happening, the boy could only stare in awe as he was looking at the most unrealistic moment of his life. Time has stopped.

He slowly sat up on his knees still holding his stomach where he was kicked. He looked at the three men outside his room again and surely, none of them are moving. A few moments later, he could hear footsteps getting closer towards him. Still in a state of trauma, the boy was frozen in place as he waited for the person who is making the sounds of the footsteps to appear. Wide eyed and shaking, Yuta's eyes were focused on a figure that slowly appeared before him. It was a girl in a maid outfit. Her silver hair forms two braids on each side of her face and her head is adorned with a maid's headband. He looked at the boy with gentleness and promptly bowed in front of him.

"Greetings, young master. It is my greatest pleasure to finally meet you."


	4. The Maid

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In the most dire situation of his life, Yuta was greeted by a beautiful maid that appeared before him and called him master.

The maid went beside him and kneel down. "Are you able to stand?" She asked. Yuta was unable to respond, so she proceeded in helping him to get up and brought him back to his bed. He sat on the side of the bed while the maid stood in front of him. "You should rest for a while, young master. Is there anything that you need?" She asked.

The boy is still confused as to what is happening. He looked again outside and the 3 men are in a frozen state. The maid also looked at them and back to his master.

"Do not worry. They will not hurt you anymore as long as I am here. And I promise to by your side. Always." The maid told him.

Feeling a bit relaxed after hearing the words from the young maid, Yuta asked her, "Who are you?"

The maid simply smiled before answering, "I am... A friend."

"A friend? B-but... What is your name?"

This got a surprised look from the maid followed by a soft giggle. "I believe, you have called me by my name earlier. And quite loud too." She answered.

Yuta looked confused as to what the maid have told him. "I... Called your name?" He asked.

The maid stood up straight, held both sides of her skirt and promptly bowed before him. "My name is Sakuya. Sakuya Izayoi.

"Sakuya? Are... Are you the watch?" The boy asked.

"Certainly not. As you can see, the watch that you are talking about is right there." Sakuya gestured behind her showing the man still holding the said watch. "If you allow me to explain, I had my name engraved on it as a sign of greeting."

This only confused Yuta even more. Understanding the situation of the boy, the maid did not pushed the matter further. "Let's leave it at that, young master. Don't you think we should be focusing on something more important?" She said, gesturing again on the three men outside.

Setting back his attention to the problem, the boy started to tremble in fear. "What should we do? My mom! Can you help my mother?" He asked which the maid replied by shaking her head solemnly.

"It is already too late for her and I am very sorry." She told him. Tears uncontrollably flowed out from the boy's eyes. His teeth clenched and grinds together because of over flowing fear, sadness and anger. He can't stop shaking that he wrapped his arms around him by instinct.

The maid quickly sat beside him and wrapped her arms around him. "Please young master, l know it is hard to take it all in but you must keep yourself calm."

The child's body kept shaking. Sobs and whimpers escapes his trembling lips but Sakuya held him tightly and kept comforting him. "It's alright. I am here. Take as much time as you need and let it all out." Hearing those words, Yuta let his emotions flow as he bawled and screamed at the maids embrace. Sakuya didn't let him go and kept her arms around him while trying to cheer him up with a few comforting words.

After a few minutes, his body got so weak that he fell asleep. Sakuya didn't left him alone. She sat beside the bed, softly brushing his hair and humming a lullaby for him.

When he woke up, his eyes still felt sore and heavy and his head is aching so bad. His sight is still blurry that he cannot recognize if someone is actually in front of him or not.

"Did you get a good rest, young master?" The maid asked.

Yuta quickly sat up as his eyes are slowly regaining focus. He stared at the maid in front of him until he could see her clearly.

"It is... not a dream, is it?" He asked. Sakuya kept quiet but the boy already know the answer just by looking outside his door. The bitter pain lit up in his heart once more as he remembers well what happened that time.

"What should we do? Um?" He asked but the name slipped from his memory.

"Sakuya." The maid reminded him. For some reason, Yuta felt at ease just by hearing her name.

"Please help me. I don't know what to do. Maybe we should run and call for help." The boy suggested.

Sakuya stood up from the bed and pulled out a pair of black leather gloves from her pocket. "If you may permit me, I will take care of them for you and you must follow every instruction that I will give you, young master." Sakuya said as she wore her gloves pulling it tightly to fit her fingers properly.

Again, the boy cannot understand what's happening that he ended up staring at the maid.

"Young master, I need your permission. Please give me your answer." Sakuya requested.

"Huh?" Was the boy's only response.

"May I take care of them for you or not?" Sakuya asked once more.

"Oh... Uh... Yes. You may." He answered.

The maid seem to be delighted as she pulled out a silver watch from her pocket. "This won't take long, I promise." She said as she push the button on top of her watch and the next thing he knew was the maid disappeared in front of him only to be seen walking towards him from the door. One more thing that can be noticed is that the men outside have all disappeared.

"Now I need you to listen to me and follow my every instructions." She said and started telling her plans.

Later, Yuta was seen running outside of their house screaming for help from his neighbors. Crying and saying that there are robbers inside their house hurting his mother. Most of them are very reluctant but are already calling the police. A few of them went to help wearing protective gear like motorcycle helmets and carrying anything they could use to fight like a baseball bat, a hammer, a piece of pipe and anything else of the same sort. They secured Yuta and let him in one of their neighbor's house while they searched the house. They swept through every room but did not see anyone else except for the mess inside the house and a pool of blood on the floor.

It took a while before the police arrived at the scene and quickly secured the whole place. They went around to investigate the crime scene and asked questions to witnesses, especially Yuta.

Though being asked of what he could remember on the criminals, all he could answer was, "I couldn't recognize their faces. They are covered with masks."

"Could you tell us more of what happened here?" The officer asked. He remembered Sakuya's instructions for him if the police asks him what happened.

"Listen, young master, if they asks you of what had happened here, you are to tell them you don't remember anything. Except that your mother helped you escape and you ran outside asking for help. Other than that, you have no idea of what happened. Now run outside and scream for help. Scream as loud as you can." And that is exactly what he did, though the sight of his mother's last moments almost made him confess of what really had happened.

Later that day, a lot of people came to their house claiming to be Yuta's relatives. They asked the police of what had happened, the results of their investigations and if they found Yuta's mother. They told them that the investigation is still on going and they are still waiting for the results. The only thing troubling them was the lack of sign of escaping. As if all of them vanished without a trace.

Yuta's relatives gathered together on the living room, stressing on the tragedy that happened and shared insights and discussed what to do next moving forward.

The first thing they are planning was taking care of Yuta.

"Someone has to take care of him. He's still very young."

"I know that, but who's to take care of him?"

"Why not let us take him? I am sure we could take proper care of him."

"You have a lot of children with you. Are you sure you could take care of him while having your hands full. We don't have any children yet. We could properly take care of him"

"You have no idea of how to take care of a child properly! You can't have the poor child."

"Excuse me?"

The debate went on and Yuta got tired of all of it. He asked if he could go to the toilet and they permitted him. Inside, he locked the door and sat on the bowl feeling very stressed and tired.

"Sakuya" he mentioned and within that moment, the whole atmosphere changed again and the beautiful maid appeared before him.

"I am here." She answered.

"I don't know what to do. They want to take me with them but I'm scared. What should I do?" He asked.

"I am not fit to decide for you as well, young master. But I promise to follow you where ever you may-"

"Let's run away!" Yuta decided. This surprised the maid and kept her silent for a few moment. Then she smiled and said, "I will follow you whatever your decision may be." Yuta felt relieved in her answer.

"Though I would like to remind you one thing, young master. Please restrain yourself from calling me within a closed room. It took me time to get in, especially if it is a bolt lock. I need to break in and repair the door. Honestly it is very tiresome."

Yuta was silent for a moment, slowly taking in the information. Then he let out a small laugh.

"I will remember that. I'm really sorry for what happened." He said.

Satisfied with the response, Sakuya opened the door for him and invited him to go. "Shall we go, young master?"

Yuta quickly leapt off from where he sat and grabbed Sakuya's hand, running around while everything else is in still frozen state. "Where should we go Sakuya?"

"I am not sure. But isn't this exciting?" The maid asked.

"Oh! What should we bring?" He asked.

"I believe we won't be needing any of that." The maid answered.

"Really? But what about food or clothes?" He asked again.

"You can leave everything to me." She answered. "And by the way, young master." She took something from within her apron revealing the golden watch. She handed it over to the boy's hands and made sure he holds unto it tightly. "I believe this is yours." She told him.

Yuta took his time staring at the watch and hanged it around his neck and hid it within his shirt. "Let's go." He told the maid and they walked outside of the house. After they had quite a few distance away from the house, Sakuya pressed the button on her pocket watch once more. Time has started to flow once again.


	5. The End?

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Half a day has passed during the investigation and the quarrel between Yuta's relatives but no one noticed that the boy is already gone away.

Only wearing his casual clothing, the cold wind was blowing on his tender skin but due to his excitement, the boy doesn't seem to mind. He ran around the place looking at the hanging lights and different decorations adorning the streets while Sakuya would just follow him around.

The maid attracted a lot of attention, not only because she's wearing a maid outfit or having a beautiful appearance but most probably because of her silver hair.

"Hey look, Sakuya! That toy looks-ah? AH-Choo!" Yuta felt the chill running through his entire body after being outside only wearing light clothing.

"Oh my! I am very sorry, young master. I have became careless and forgot to get you changed for the cold weather." The maid said while wiping his nose with a handkerchief she pulled from her pocket.

"Don't worry about it. It's my fault anyway. I got too excited that I suddenly went outside and pulled you along." He said.

"That won't do." The maid said and quickly pulled her watch. With a press of a button she disappeared in front of the boy and appeared behind him at the same time carrying a comfortable looking coat and a knitted cap. Without a moment to spare, she made him wear the coat and the cap.

"Oh, thanks." He said, but he noticed that the maid wasn't wearing any warm clothing. "How about you Sakuya? Aren't you cold?" He asked.

"You could say I am used to it." The maid simply answered.

Yuta kept staring at her which the maid took notice.

"Is there anything else you need, young master?" She asked.

"Say, Sakuya. How do you do that?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" The maid clarified.

"You know. When you pull out your watch! You suddenly disappear." Yuta explained.

"Oh, you mean this?" The maid said as she pulled out her pocket watch and presented it to the child. "Rather than disappearing, I simply stop time." She said and with a push of a button, time has completely stopped.

Yuta cannot believe his eyes even if he already seen it happen before. Everything around him stopped moving. The people that are walking, the vehicles, even the birds flying above them.

"Wow! You can stop time with this?" The boy asked taking the watch from the maid's hand. He tried pushing the button but nothing happens.

"I believe it only works if I do it." Sakuya explained taking the watch back and resuming the flow of time.

Yuta can't seem to understand but he did not pushed topic. Instead he continued his stroll around town. He stopped by a restaurant, watching people eating together happily.

"Are you feeling hungry, young master?" Sakuya asked and without waiting for a reply, she pulled out her watch and stopped time around them. She held his hand and led him inside the restaurant. He set a table for him and proceeded to enter the kitchen. After a few seconds, she came back with a meal already prepared. After setting the meal in front of him, she stood beside him waiting if the boy needed anything else. But even if the food looks so delicious, the boy would not touch it.

"What's wrong, young master? Is the food not to your liking?" The maid asked.

"It's not that, but aren't we stealing things?" The boy asked.

The maid leaned beside him and told him, "Right now, you must not let anything hold you back, young master. Even the law. If you needed anything, just tell me and you will have it. Now then, please eat up. You need it to stay strong."

Yuta hesitated at first but ate it in the end. After having his fill, they walked outside the restaurant and the time resumed.

"How about giving it a try, young master? Let's enjoy by taking advantage of the time. Let me show you how." The maid suggested and led the way.

First off, they went to a shopping center. Yuta tried every clothes Sakuya chose for him. After choosing the clothes, Sakuya stops the time and they simply walks out of the store. Sakuya would even bother to put them in a paper bag and she even carried a cart with them.

Next, they go to some toy shop. Yuta would take everything if possible, but the maid reminded him that they could only take a few considering how much weight they could carry. Even the cart has a limit.

Then they went to see some movies. For free!

Lastly,Sakuya brought him to an amusement park. Making sure that their goods are properly hidden, they entered the amusement park and taking a lot of free ride tickets and money from the counter. They rode different rides, ate foods, and took prices without paying for anything. They walked around some more until it's almost midnight. Feeling so tired, they sat on a bench to get some rest.

"I had so much fun." The boy said while staring at the starless night sky.

"I am glad that you did." The maid responded.

A moment of silence passed before the boy started to speak again. "Hey Sakuya? What happened to those three men?"

"I have disposed of them." The maid quickly answered.

"And my mother?" The boy asked again.

The maid hesitated at first but answered him anyway. "I have disposed of her body as well."

Another moment of silence went by until Sakuya decided to break it. "I can somehow relate on what you are going through right now and I cannot promise to take care of you the same way your mother did but, you have accept what happened and move on." She pulled out her watch once more and Yuta heard a click. The next thing he know, he's already on top of a tower sitting on the edge. The wind is blowing very hard as he is looking at the city below him.

"You may have lost the ones that are important to you but now that I am here, will give you anything you want. Just tell me whatever it is that you need and you will have it." She pulls out her watch once more. "I can give you..." And with a push of the button, everything stood still. "The world." She whispers in his ears as she sat beside him. Everything looked lifeless. Nothing moves and you hear no sound. He looked around him and he did feel like he can do anything. Time resumed and the strong wind started blowing once more. He also noticed something dancing in the air. Snow. The first snow fall of the year. It finally fell.

The boy threw his arms around the maid's waist and told her, "Thank you, Sakuya."

"It is my pleasure that I am able to help" the maid replied wrapping one arm around the boy while the other lightly brushed his hair.

"Not only that, but because of what you did no one else will have to go through what I have been through. So thank you." The boy explained. There was a moment of silence before the maid started talking again.

"I believe that is not exactly true." The maid objected. This got her a confused look from the boy. "I may have taken care of those three but it seems they belong to a big organization." The maid explained.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked.

"What I mean is, there are a lot more of them out there."

"Then, we really haven't stopped anything." Yuta felt despair as the tragedy that befall him plays back in his memory.

"Well, if the head of the organization is dead and their base of operation has been destroyed, there's a high possibility that their organization will disband." The maid suggested which only received an even confused look from the child.

The maid only smiled and tried to explain it easily so Yuta can understand. "It means that if we... Kill... Their boss... And destroy their... House... All of them will stop."

That idea is perfect, is what the boy is thinking. "Sakuya! Can you find where they live?" The boy asked with his eyes begging that it must be done.

"I am not sure. I think I can go and look for..." Once more she pulled out her clock and pressed the button. As if nothing happened, the maid is still sitting next to him but you can clearly see that her position have shifted slightly.

"I have found it young master." The maid reported.

"Really? Wow! How did you do it?" The boy asked.

"You see, when they went to your house, they actually brought a vehicle. It really took me a while to dispose of that one but because of that, I am able to track them down. I went to the public security headquarters, the ones that keep track of the security camera around the city, and tracked down any sightings of that vehicle from every camera and..." She stopped explaining seeing that the child could not take in everything in her report. She smiled at him and said, "How I got the information is not that important, I think. The point is, I know where their boss is." She said.

Yuta felt very nervous and uneasy but determination sparked in his eyes. "Take me to them."

Without wasting any moment, the maid pulled out her watched and held it close to the boy. "Should you change your mind, we can still-" But before she could finish what she's saying, Yuta held her hand and pushed it slightly to move her thumb and press the button on the watch. The next thing he saw was the maid's hand disappeared in front of him but found her standing next to him. He stood up and looked around. They are no longer on top of a tower but found themselves in front of a beautiful mansion.

"This is where they live. I will now take you to his room." The maid said and with a push of a button, they are in front of a huge wooden double door. "Go ahead and meet him inside. I will be taking care of things around here." The maid said and suddenly disappears. The boy then turns the knob and opens the door. He enters the room without worry and walks straight to the man standing behind a desk while talking to the phone. He quickly drops the call as he is surprised that a child would just enter the room.

He looks at his three guards sitting near the door, one on the left while the other two are on the right. "Hey! Who let that kid get in here?! Take him away!" He ordered them.

The one on the left quickly chased the boy. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" He said while trying to reach out to the boy, but before he could even reach him, the boy called out to his maid.

"Sakuya!"

Looking at the boss' perspective, everything seems to move very slowly and he something he's not even sure if it actually happened. A maid appeared beside his guard chasing the boy while holding a knife that she seems to be polishing with a cloth. The other thing he saw was that there's a deep cut on his guards neck and blood is slowly gushing out of it. Then the flow of time went to normal but the guard chasing the boy and the maid disappeared. Even the other two guards are having a problem believing what they just saw. A second later, the maid re-appeared again beside his other two guards doing the same action earlier while his two guards got their throat slit. And with the same pattern, the other two disappeared along with the maid.

Unable to understand the situation, the boss stood still in his place watching the child walk closer and closer to him.

"Please have a sit, sir." Said a voice behind him and found out it was the maid. She forced him to sit down and because he was rattled a bit, his knees gave in easily and he fell to his seat as his weight pulled him down.

Then he felt a burning sensation on his right hand. He looked at it and found that it was pinned to the armrest of the chair with a knife. Before he could even react to the pain, he felt his other arm being pulled and the next thing he saw was the knife already being driven down on the back of his palm by a quick, clean stab, pinning it to the arm rest.

He felt the pain and started screaming and squirming on his seat. The maid held him by the shoulder to get his attention and threatened him. "Please do not force me to stab your knees as well and keep calm."

He heard something crawling up his desk and found the boy trying to climb to it. The maid went beside the boy and help him climb. When he got on top, he walked closer to the man and sat on the edge of the table.

"Who are you people? What do you want? Do you even know who I am?" He asked them, raising his voice as loud as he can but the pain from the knives kept him from thrashing about.

"I know who you are." Yuta answered. "You're responsible for the death of my mother." He said.

"I don't care about any of your concerns! I have a lot of men and I will have you two be tortured and before killing you slowly!" He the man said.

"Your men? They certainly are a lot of them... Earlier. Right now, you are the only one left." Sakuya said. The man was confused on what she's saying. "In other words, I have disposed of them already. If you still cannot understand that, I killed them all. Just like how I took care of your three guards in this room."

In normal circumstances, the man would not believe what he just heard. But after witnessing what happened earlier, he had no choice but to believe it.

The boy held out his hand and the maid handed the knife she was polishing. He then held the knife near the man's face. The man felt really nervous. These two aren't normal. "Hey, kid. D-do you know what you're doing? Y-you could hurt yourself with that. Do you understand me? Put it down." He said trying talk his way out of trouble but Yuta was unfazed. He even moved the tip in front of the man's eye. "Hey didn't you heard me?! I said you could get hurt-!"

"Do you know how much it hurts?" Yuta said in a grim tone.

"What are you mumbling about, kid?"

"Do you know how much it hurts? For a mother to let her child witness her death. How painful it is knowing that she will leave behind the one she loves the most in the midst of danger? Knowing that she could not do anything, even save herself. Do you know how that feels?" Yuta asked.

"Do you think I care?!" The man shouted and he tried to kick the child off his desk, but even though he put all his power in a single kick, he didn't feel any contact. He didn't hit anything at all. "What?" He tried it again but nothing seems to happen. He looked at his right leg to see what's wrong only to discover his leg was missing. He stared at it and he can see it was cleanly cut off and blood was gushing out from it. He was to shocked to even feel the pain that he just started cursing and crying. He even peed his pants. He looked at the maid to find her glaring at him.

"I dare you to do that again." She warned him.

"Please! Ow! Tell me... What is it that you want? I can give you a lot of money. Just tell me and I will pay you as much as you want. Just let me go." He begged while crying.

"My mother." Yuta answered.

"What?"

"Can you bring back my mother?" He asked again. The man was unable to respond. He can't even understand what is being asked of him.

"I thought so." Yuta said and with a single thrust, he drove the knife through the man's neck. No blood came out and the man sat still in his chair left in a shocked expression.

"Sakuya! When did I asked you to stop the time?" He asked the maid.

"I believe you have done enough." She answered and took him away from the desk and put him down on the floor. "Let me take care of it." She said and without a second to spare, the man's body disappeared from his seat only leaving the two of them in the room.

"What about the house?" He asked but before the maid could answer, there was a loud explosion from inside the mansion.

"It has been taken care of." The maid answered.

"I see. That's good."

"We should hurry. The whole place is going to burn down in a few moment." The maid said but Yuta did not move an inch. Instead, he kept staring at his hands.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"I'm tired already." Yuta said.

"You are... Tired? It's fine. I will carry you out-"

"No Sakuya. I am tired of everything. I just want this to end." He pulled the golden watch under his shirt and took it off from his neck. He held it out towards Sakuya and asked her, "Would you listen to my selfish request and end it all for me?"

The maid stared at the watch for a while before taking it away from the boy's hand. She then took a long clear, thin tube with a needle on one end. She held the boy's right arm and with a precise movement, she pierced his delicate skin with the needle. Blood flowed down the tube and waiting on the other end was a fountain pen. She made him hold the pen and handed him a greeting card. It was the same greeting card that he received on his Christmas gift but the To: portion was empty. Somehow, Yuta understands how it works. And he knows this isn't the first time this happened. He thought so hard on what he was going to write. He ended up writing 'Star'. After he's done, the maid immediately took the card, the pen and the tube from him and put them back under her apron. She then pulled out a knife with a golden handle and stood in front of the boy. She held the golden watch and opened its cover to find the needle of the clock just a few seconds away until it reaches 12 midnight. When then hands and the needle finally met together, all pointing at 12 o'clock, the watch stopped working and with that the maid closed down its cover and put it away under her apron only leaving the knife in her hands.

Trembling quite hard, Yuta still managed to look up to Sakuya, teary eyed and forcing a smile. "Sakuya, thank you... For everything." He said.

Sakuya reached for the silver watch on her pocket and held it so that Yuta can see it. "It is my pleasure to be at your service." She said and pressed the button on the watch. The boy can now be seen frozen place. Time has stopped around them but not for Yuta. He was just placed in a very slow state. Sakuya then proceeded to pull out different colored knives and sent it flying towards Yuta but as the time is still stopped, the knives were suspended in the air. She placed a lot of knives, a heading towards Yuta and when she's finally satisfied with their number, she stood in front of the boy holding the knife with a gold hilt on one hand and red on the other. He stared at the boy for while looking at his half-crying face with a forced smile and still on a very slow state. Then her eyes glow red and her smile was turned into a very twisted and sadistic smile as she resumed the time around them and all the knives pierced Yuta's soft flesh, tearing it apart. It was followed by a storm of slashes from the maid herself. Every part of the boy was turned into a mash of minced meat and sticky liquid slowly expanding in the air. When all parts of him completely turned into paste, Sakuya stopped the time completely and walked out of the room. A few moments later, she returned with an clay jar and a wooden ladle. Little by little, she scooped Yuta's liquefied body from the air and placed it inside the jar.

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All alone on a train holding a clay jar covered with cloth and tied with a string, Sakuya sits quietly waiting for the only platform the train she's riding on will stop. Outside the windows, you can see nothing but pitch black darkness with a few flashes coming from tunnels lights. It's already been an hour but the tunnel doesn't seem to end until it single light source showing an empty platform came into view. The train slowed down little by little until it came to a full stop. Sakuya stood up carrying the jar and stepped off the train to be greeted by a blonde woman, wearing a purple dress and a mob cap. On her hand, she carries a closed parasol. Tilting her head slightly, Yukari Yakumo greets the maid upon her arrival.

"I see you've only carried one jar today." She announced.

"Yes. This is the last harvest of the year. I believe we have enough to satisfy Milady and the young mistress." She said. "Though I do believe we have a great harvest this year that Milady decided to celebrate this holiday's eve with everyone. I hope you are able to attend." Sakuya said.

"Oh my! I am invited?" Yukari asked.

"For the trouble we are giving you for the food transportation of Milady, this is the least we can do to repay your generosity." She replied.

"Hmm~ It sounds tempting bu~t, I will think about it." The elder sage replied.

"Please do think about it. If you'll excuse me, I will be on my way." the maid replied and proceed to climb up the stairs.

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 _December, the following year_

A little girl sitting on a swing. In her hand, she held a gift wrapped in a yellow wrapper and tied with a white ribbon. Hesitant at first but she ripped off the wrapper and quickly opened the box only to find a golden watch inside. She opened the top cover and revealed the clock's face. But under the cover was a short message. The girl silently read the message and found it confusing.

"Sakuya?" She said and suddenly the atmosphere around her changed. Nothing is moving around her, but the thing that mostly caught her attention was the beautiful maid standing in front of her.

"Greetings milady. It is my greatest pleasure to finally meet you." the maid greeted the little girl. The child was caught in the moment for a few seconds the felt excited and showed a very bright smile.


	6. Back to the Library: Afterword

IMPORTANT: **This** is a short **chapter** which is **NOT INCLUDED IN THE STORY**. If you are not interested in some filler story, then please skip this chapter.

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Back to the Library

You've finally finished the book and put it down. Made a few stretches and heard a few popping sound on your arms and back. Even though it's short, it surely felt like you've been sitting there for hours.

"Did you finished it?" A voice asked you. You turned around and found the man you talked to earlier. "It seems you did finish it. Did it somehow entertain you?" He flipped open his phone and seems surprised at what he saw. "Oh, I have to go home now. How about you? When are you planning to get home? Because, you know, Christmas eve is coming. Time to get together! Well, I hope we meet again." He walked quite fast that you easily lost sight of him.

Well, it is time to go back home. You stood up from your seat and walked the same hallway you went through earlier. Feeling quite refreshed and relaxed. I wonder what is running through your mind right now. An idea? A spark of inspiration? I guess it's up to you to find out.

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Hi everyone!

First of all, a seasons greeting! Merry Christmas and a blessed New year to come!

It's been quite a long time since I've contributed something. And I blame this particular story for that. The truth is, this was supposed to be posted last year. Bu~t! Since I hate this kind of story, I repulse it to the back of my mind and write another Christmas special for last year.

Apparently this story kept haunting me for a year, not letting me have other ideas for another story.

So yeah, I'm wondering why the ones I like to write easily fades away while the ones I hate never leaves my mind. I guess I'm a bitter person for not being able to forget the things I hate. Meh!

Also, the idea for this story was actually created in 15 minutes, where I am walking home from buying groceries. My brain just suddenly started feeding me the idea and by the time I reached our house, the whole summary of the story was created. And I was like, 'What the fuck brain? Why you do this to me?'

So now that this has been released from my brain (finally!), I hope I could contribute a little more!

That's it from me! Gonna go ahead and get back having some Z's.

And stay safe everyone!


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